Plant for towing vessels on inland waterways



Dec. 6, 1927. A

' A, H. MULLER 1651538 PLANT FOR TOWING VESSELS ON INI-.AND WATERWAYS l Filed Ffeb. 9, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 1 infr/7W ,E i f/V/a//Qf i afw- @WMM/w@ Whg/f Dec.' 6, v1927. 1,651,538

- A. H. MLLER Y PLANT FOR TowING vEssELs oN INLAND wATERwAYs Filed Feb. 9, 1926 ZSheets-Sheet 2 l /QHM//f' y w/M, 06g? .l y

Patented Dec. 6, V17.927. Y

y .l UNITED "STATES i y 1,651,538 PATENT. 'oFFicE.-

ARTHUR HUGOMLLER, oi"v BLANKENRsE, NEAR HAMBURG, GERMANY.

'PLANT FOR TOWING VESSELS ON INLAND WATERWAYS.

Application fired February s, 1926, serial la which preclude the general introduction `of these systems of towage. These drawbacks are not-inet with4 where the track is mounted' in the air above the water-way,but the objection is :tound in the high cost. In `the Iii present state of the art it is possible to con` struct such a track above t-he water to yform a rigid structure similar e to the Elberfeld suspension track or electric overhead railway which would be technically satisfactory, :"1 but itis certain that such an installation for .towing vessels, particularly on ac^ount ot the necessary spans ofV 100 to 300 met-res, would be tar too expensive; Y

In prior attempts to solve this problem it .i has been generally proposed to employ cableor chainlike tracks. The construction of such chain-like or leXible tracks is a difficult problem, particularly in the case '4 wlieie the track has not merely to take up :'l the pull of the vessel longitudinally Y and tiansversally, but also the weight of the tug' or trolley. DueV to rthe inluence of .the weight and the vertical component of the towing eiiort a large sag of the chainor rope-like track isfproduced, impairing the efficiency and causing detrimental swaying or rocking and premature wear and tear and other drawbacks. Y

The installation of the invention represents a solution of the problem, constituting a happy combination of the rigid principle of `electric suspended railways with the chainor cable-track principle.

A track, along which the tug or ktrolley moves, is suspended and stiifened in the vertical plane by a suspension structure spanned between fiXedpoints butvunstitfened in transverse direction. This supporting structure may :be subjected to the .action of lateral forces to undergo laterally swinging movelments and distortions without detraction from the necessary rigidityy inthe plane ot' support. 'y

' It is assumed-thatv the supporting strucno members which are ture includes No. 87,162, and in Germany in part May 28, 1925, and iii part 'November 3o, 1925.

subject to compression and require to be stiffened. Such'structures are known in the art'l of suspension-bridge-building. However, the lateral flexibility of such structures is not `made use otV in bridge-buildingbecause a bridge must always be stiff, so that two ormore of such structures can be connected with one another by a stiff'Y transverse connection. In the present instance lateral iiexibilityand movability of the whole systeni are not only harmless but even desider` ata. It one'were to construct such a towing installation with rigidity in transverse direction, there would be the danger that on lateral movements of the vessel, caused Jfor instance by Ydetective steering, a sudden straightening out of the traction rope would give rise to such immense lateral forces that either thc track or the traction rope would be destroyed. Elastic deiection or diversion .of these forces within the ycarrying plane is of the -greatest importance forrsuch installations. l

In spite of the lateral flexibility such a structure will give the track hanging vthereon so much stitfness in the Vvertical Vlongitudinal plane that it is possible to construct itvas a rigid continuous rail, which in everyv respect has all the advantages that are characteristic or a rigid track, as distinguished Jfrom chainor; cable-tracks. Particularly'the sagging of the track, caused by the action of the moving load and found so very inconvenient, is eliminated.

The supporting structure is also of eXtreme cheapness, since transverse stays are dis.- pensed with, and since there are in essenceutilized only memberswhich are subjectto tensile stress, these members may bev bais of circular cross-section. f

Fig. l of the accompanying drawing is' a longitudinal sec-tion or' an installation according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 a plan.

Fig. 3 is a section drawn to the line A-B of Fig. 2 to a larger scale.

Fig. t is an elevation of one section ot' the installation. Fig. 5 is a side vievs7 illustrating the suspension of the track together with a tug suspended `from the track, and y Fig. 6 is a plan'of means for compensating for changes in length caused by variations of temperature.

' The tug or trolley a. pulls itself by friction llO along the trucl; which in the construction shown by wey of example consists el" u rail of Lsectioin und in running :along this ruil tows or drags the vessel c. The truck l; is suspended :troni the sluniorting strinfture hy suspension yokev c, which ure preferullly adapted tio swing or osclillnte pent'luluni lushicn ulzont the pivot or `joint g1 to prevent twisting movements hctwecn the tug und the ruil, 'when the dritt ol the vessel is sideways, und to increuse the luterul Inovuhility of the track by allowing' udditionul oscllutory tree domu The bending und tw' stresses within the trau-l; (lint might be occ onor hy :illy speaking so slight that the provisions of special joints in the treclctnf ruil is not necessary. Frein the yolies is sueneruled also tlle electric conductor L, :from which the current .is fed to the tug by u sliding Vbrush lll the distance between the tug und the conductor remaining' uniform.

The Section of the suoimrtinc' structure shown in Fig. l, which, :1s shown in l "ig l. is hung from spaced pos-ls or l'restles` M, hl O, etc., spnnning the ril'cr or canal,r consists ofthe upper tics o, the lower tics if. thc nmin diugonnls d und t crossing` one nnothcr und subject only to tension, the verticale o son ject to compression und thc interxncdiulc suspension bers fl. All the hairs which nrc suhjected to tensile stress ure llrelicrullly round steel hairs` which oll'er lees sultlzlcc to wnll und rust than other lmrs, stretch less und :irc considerably clieuper tlnln cnhles or wireropes.

As is unde stood, the supporting structure muy he of dillercnti shape ond lurking nicluhers subject to compression. The construction shownlnis the udvuntnge thut it incllnli--s `\fcry Lt'ew hers subject to conlpressiorn :ind moreover thnt. there :irc no cxtru long' tie hars` that the structure cnn he huilt up :it small cost.

'.ln order to compensato ['orchungcs in length of the truck due to lluctuntions in temperature it is of ud vantage to iinl'orporetc in the truck under the supporting point u inelnher ZJ', which is elasticl in :L horizontal plone, Fig. 6. At curved points of the nntethwuy the compensation is etl'ected solely hy u change ol the curvature le of the track, Fig'. 2, 'which in its simplest forni is elfected hy shortening the truck relatively to the polen line of the upper tie. The curve rec nu'res no lutcrnl .stftying or tensioning. At the seine time in thetruck and in the lower tic u tensile stress whereby thc structure is stiilened is set un in the suine nlunner is by th l there tlescrilict'l elastic section of rnl b. 'This elicct may he increased in the line of me truck hy additional tensioning Ineens, lor i nstnnce by the spring m5 Fig. el.

it is lo he rcnntrkcd that the invention is not only applicable for installations of towingsliips, tutti con also he adopted with :1druntege in installations for conveyance of other vehicles or loads,

l. A suspended truck construction `for the ourposes indi :utech comprising a track con- .slrnctcd et rigid rails and a suspension structure hy which the truck is suspended, said ntrinftnri-i being still in e vertical plane to support, suill ruclr against deflection, but lzitcrzllly yclduhle.

if. A construction :recording to claim l, in which thc suspension structure includes penlluloue` members 'tree to oscillute laterally.

25. .t\. conm-niftoli according to claim 1, in

which the suspension structure includes penlulous members :free to oscillute laterally, und ineens on seid .inenlllers adapted to carry :in electric conductor.

Ll. A construction according to claim L lclnding un elustic lnenlher incinporated in le structure helow the supporting point for cmnjocnisrting lfor clninges in length ol the suspension structure und truck due to chnngcs in temperature.

5. A constrlnrtion uccording to cluiln l, including n spring incorporated in a lower inenilier thcreol" lor continumlsly subjecting tln` ejuspcnsion structurte to tensile stress.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my nenn lo this specilicution.

A llt'llillllt. llliti() ltllllililllt. 

